As you may have read, during his visit to the Holy Land, Pope Francis invited Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to meet with him at the Vatican to pray for peace. Both presidents accepted, and the Read more
An aerial view of Masada.
While I was in the Holy Land, many Scripture verses surfaced in my mind and heart as I stood in the places of the Old and New Testaments. But, the one I found myself recalling most often was Psalm 91:
For you have made the LORD, my refuge,
            Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
     No evil will befall you,
            Nor will any plague come near your tent.
     For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
            To guard you in all your ways.
     They will bear you up in their hands,
            That you do not strike your foot against a stone. (Ps 91:9-12)
Why this one?
Well, I have to confess that it was less an expression of spiritual or historical meaning and (more…)
Tomorrow, Thursday, June 5, at 5:15am EST I’ll be chatting with Morning air guest host John Harper about my trip to Israel and the importance of pilgrimages. Please join us live or catch the podcast later here.
After a couple gallons of homemade electrolyte replacement sports drink, a hoard of supplements, Â and a few good nights of sleep, I’m back to work and ready to continue telling you about my amazing adventures in the Holy Land. Even with my best efforts, I came home depleted and needing rejuvenation. That’s what ten days of profuse sweating, walking miles and miles (more…)
Rock on which the Risen Jesus served breakfast to his Apostles
I can’t believe it’s already the end of the fourth day of our trip. Or is it the fifth day? It’s really hard to keep track, because our families and deadlines are (more…)
I’ll be chatting live from Israel with EWTN Radio’s “Son Rise Morning Show” host Matt Swaim tomorrow, Friday May 23 at 6:45am EST. We’ll talk about my trip thus far and all the excitement brewing for the Pope’s arrival here Read more
The Church of Cana
There’s already so much to tell about, and I’m only two-thirds of the way through my first full day in the Holy Land!
I left Monday (May 19) on an evening flight out of Chicago, connected to another flight in Rome, and landed in Tel Aviv around 7pm local time. On the same flight was our Israel Ministry of Tourism agent, Jill (who, I believe must be related to the Good Fairy). Once landed, we met our guide, Ron, who is courteous, funny, and well educated.
My first surprise was learning that tour guides in Israel are required to get a degree akin to our Bachelor’s degree in the United States and that they (more…)